From Tsater to Kobayr Monastery: Children’s Hike Through the Debed Gorge

• peaksam May 18, 2025October 3, 2026

Sunday’s hike through the Debed Gorge was soooo beautiful. Although this description falls far short of expressing the views of nature that we saw. We set off for the Lori region. We had decided to walk the trail from Tsater to Kobayr Monastery, which is part of the great trail running through the Debed Gorge. We had previously walked other sections of this great trail: from Tsaghkashat to Haghpat, from Haghpat to Sanahin, and from Odzun to Kobayr Monastery. Now it was the turn of the trail from Tsater to Kobayr Monastery, which passes beside giant rocks, through forests and alpine green slopes, opening up views of the Marts and Debed gorges. Our hike started from Tsater, one of the most beautiful villages in Lori. The clean, fresh morning air, the green hills and the peaks opening up in the distance, the crowing of the village roosters and the mooing of the cows immediately created a carefree mood. The children started the hike cheerful, curious and full of enthusiasm. The surroundings were truly fairytale-like: birdsong, trails covered with flowers, and at times gorges and narrow passages covered with brambles. Along the way, the children often stopped to watch the scenes of nature: butterflies, mushrooms hidden among the leaves, or lizards slipping under the stones. They listened with great curiosity to their guides’ explanations about animals, birds and the history of the area. The deep Debed Gorge greeted us with a world of countless small caves and rocks, which was very impressive, especially when we saw the eagle’s nest, whose clearest evidence was the traces of the bird’s droppings flowing white down the rock. At the end of the road, Kobayr Monastery, hidden on the edge of a cliff, opened up before us with its half-ruined, mysterious and peaceful atmosphere. The children looked in amazement at the reliefs and frescoes painted on its walls, and asked why the monastery is in such a hard-to-reach place.

This 12th-century monastic complex is famous for its unique frescoes. The monastery was an important center of education, culture and writing in medieval Armenia, and its history is connected with the activity of royal and noble families such as the Bagratunis, the Kyurikyans and the Zakaryans. There are several caves around the site that were used as monastic cells. It is believed that the name of the monastery is a combination of the Georgian word “kob” and the Armenian word “ayr”, both of which mean “cave”. Another version of the origin of the name says that the monastery was often fought over by different rulers, and from time to time, while arguing about whom the monastery belonged to, the parties would say: “This is your fortress”. That is why locals also call the monastery Kober.

The hike ended with peaceful and satisfied smiles. This route, from Tsater to Kobayr, became not only a hike but also a journey into our history and into ourselves.

• Distance covered: 8 km
• Elevation gain: 170 m